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By Amira Elghawaby Opinion Wed., Jan. 9, 2019 It would be easy for many of us to shrug nonchalantly at the historic images of two American Muslim women taking their place in the U.S. Congress. After all, Canadian Muslims have been elected to Parliament over the years, and are currently represented in cabinet and in the Senate. In 2015, Maryam Monsef became the first Muslim woman ever to be appointed to the post of minister. She would be followed by current Immigration Minister, Ahmed Hussen. Many people in Canada have nonetheless taken notice of Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib’s wins. Their victories are significant for a variety of reasons that resonate well beyond American politics. Consider that Muslim women, in particular, have often been silenced, stereotyped, pigeonholed and underestimated since the first Orientalist images of Muslim women began to appear in the salons of Europe centuries ago. Artistic themes often centred around the notion of “white … [Read more...] about Muslim women in Congress reinforce what is possible
Muslim women hijab
Two Muslim women make history by making it to US Congress
WASHINGTON Millions of Americans voted in the congressional and state contests on Tuesday, with all 435 seats in the US House of Representatives, 35 seats in the 100-member US Senate and 36 of the 50 state governorship at stake. Although not all votes have been officially declared, it is clear that the Democrats have taken back the House while the Senate will be controlled by the Republicans. Among the winners were several firsts. Here are some of them. FIRST MUSLIM WOMEN IN CONGRESS For the first time, the US Congress will have Muslim women - and two of them. Ms Ilhan Omar, 36, a Somali refugee, won a House seat in a heavily Democratic district in Minneapolis, where she will succeed Mr Keith Ellison, himself the first Muslim in Congress. Ms Rashida Tlaib, 42, a social worker born in Detroit to Palestinian immigrant parents, won a House seat in a district where she ran unopposed. Ms Omar, who will be America's first hijab-wearing congresswoman, said in an interview: "I am Muslim and … [Read more...] about Two Muslim women make history by making it to US Congress
Minnesota, Michigan send first Muslim women to US Congress
WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - Voters in Minnesota and Michigan on Tuesday (Nov 6) elected the first two Muslim women to serve in the US Congress, a former refugee who fled Somalia's civil war and a Detroit-born Palestinian-American. The victories by the two Democrats - Ms Ilhan Omar and Ms Rashida Tlaib - came on an election night when members of multiple minority groups had a chance to score electoral firsts. In Minnesota, Ms Omar, about 36 and a naturalised American citizen and state representative, follows another trailblazer: She will succeed US Congressman Keith Ellison, who in 2006 became the first Muslim elected to Congress and is stepping down to run for state attorney-general. The Minneapolis woman campaigned on policies embraced by the Democratic Party's most liberal wing: universal healthcare, free college tuition and robust public housing. "I did not expect to come to the United States and go to school with kids who were worried about food as much as I was worried about it in a … [Read more...] about Minnesota, Michigan send first Muslim women to US Congress
US voters poised to elect 2 Muslim women to Congress
CHICAGO: US voters are poised to elect two Muslim women to Congress in the midterm election next week, marking a historic first even as anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rhetoric has been on the rise.Ilhan Omar, a Somali refugee, is all but certain to be elected to the US House of Representatives in a heavily-Democratic district in the Midwestern state of Minnesota, where she is the party's nominee.Rashida Tlaib, a social worker born in Detroit to Palestinian immigrant parents, will win a House seat in a district where she is running unopposed.The two will be the first Muslim women to serve in the US Congress. They will increase the total number of Muslims in Congress to three.Congressman Andre Carson, who is Muslim and African American, is likely to win reelection in his safely-Democratic district in the state of Indiana.The expected electoral milestone is in stark contrast to the rise in anti-Muslim sentiment around the country. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) … [Read more...] about US voters poised to elect 2 Muslim women to Congress
San Francisco museum shows off modern Muslim women’s fashion
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By Janie Har The Associated Press Sun., Sept. 23, 2018 SAN FRANCISCO—The head covering is among the most identifiable elements of Muslim women’s dress and most likely to be portrayed as drab and restrictive to the Western eye. But a new exhibition in San Francisco shows that the covering used by some Muslim women can be a bright yellow head wrap or a loose drape of rose; a black silk and lace scarf by Dolce & Gabbana; or a hood attached to an extra-long girls’ dress. Contemporary Muslim Fashions opened Saturday at the de Young Museum with about 80 ensembles by nearly 60 designers from around the world, including the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The clothes are vibrant, elegant and playful, ranging from high-end couture to sassy streetwear. The people behind the installation, which is the first major museum exhibition of its kind, hope to spark a deeper understanding of the women who are part of the second-largest religion in the world. … [Read more...] about San Francisco museum shows off modern Muslim women’s fashion